Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla received a delegation from Methanex Corporation, which invests in the Egyptian petrochemical industry in partnership with the petroleum sector through a methanol production plant in Damietta Governorate.

The delegation included Brad Boyd, Senior Vice President of Corporate Resources at Methanex Corporation, and Mohamed Shendi, Managing Director of Methanex Egypt, in the presence of Eric Ochlan, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) office in Cairo. Egyptian Petrochemical Holding Company (ECHEM) Chairman Saad Helal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum for the Technical Office Alaa Hagar, as well as representatives from the ILO and the Canadian Embassy in Cairo also attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed the latest programs of the company’s social responsibility towards the local community in Damietta Governorate within the framework of the social role of the petroleum sector companies in their areas of work to contribute to achieving comprehensive development. The programs are represented in the project adopted by Methanex Egypt in partnership with the International Labour Organization under the name “Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Youth – Together to face the challenge in Damietta Governorate”. It aims, at this stage, to qualify 100 young men people from Damietta Governorate to enter the labor market in the food industry in the governorate. This will be accomplished by providing specialized training for young people in accordance with a cooperation protocol with the Chamber of Food Industries in the Federation of Industries.

El Molla pointed out the petroleum sector’s keenness on the existence of effective community participation for companies operating in Damietta Governorate. He highlighted the need to unify efforts and coordination between Methanex, MOPCO, and SEGAS companies in joint initiatives to serve the local community in Damietta. This would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of companies in the province and would significantly benefit the people of the area, he noted.

The minister highlighted the importance of the Methanex project to qualify young people for the labor market, which is in line with the vision and basic values ​​of the Modernization program. He pointed out its focus on benefiting from the energies of young people by training and qualifying them, emphasizing the need to work to increase awareness among the youth trainees on how to apply occupational safety and health rules in the work environment.